VILLUPURAM: A statue of the Hindu Trinity gods Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, and two statues of lord Aiyanar, reportedly dating back to the 13th century, have been found at Pidagam village along Thenpennai river in Villupuram.
Centre for Study of Culture and History coordinator G Senguttuvan, history enthusiasts K Saravanakumar, Vishnu Prasad and P Krishnamurthi, while conducting field research on Sunday, found the three sculptures. The team had held field study at Anniyur, Kuchipalayam, Maatur Thirukai and Pidagam.
Nandan Irrigation Canal Farmers Association members spoke to the team about the sculptures being worshipped at a temple here.
“Though they call the spot a temple, no infrastructure was found around the statues.
“The locals dug up the four-feet-tall trinity statue earlier and began worshipping them,” Senguttuvan told Express.
Senguttuvan added that the worship of the Hindu trinity in Villupuram dates back to the seventh century, when the Pallavas created the first cave temple for gods at Mandagapattu village. “Mahendravarma Pallava had raised the cave temple without using cement, bricks, limestone or metals.”
“Though statues of Trinity gods were earlier found at Nannadu and Thiruvamahtur villages in Villupuram, those lacked a facial figure for Shiva. The one we found recently carries a Shiva face. The sculpture is 800 years old and there was also a Ganesha sculpture in the temple,” Vishnu Prasad said. Similarly, an ancient idol of lord Aiyanar was found in Maathru Thirukai village.
“The idol was sculpted in ‘maharaja leelaasana’ position with jada mandalam (open hair), bathra kundalam (earrings) and a flower in his hands.
“At Kuchipalayam village at Pidagam, another Aiyanar idol was found in ‘maharaj aasana’ with his two wives Poorani and Porkalai.
These idols of Aiyanar date back to the 13th century,” G Shankaranarayan, a professor of History at Kancheepuram said.